The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: Carousel (Tony Award), Master Class (Tony Award), Ragtime (Tony Award), A Raisin in the Sun (Tony Award, and Emmy Award for television adaptation), Marie Christine (Tony nomination), A Raisin in the Sun, 110 in the Shade (Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical). Opera credits: Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine and the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's Send (who are you? I love you), Houston Grand Opera; Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Los Angeles Opera (the resulting recording won two Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album in 2009). Concerts with the New York Philharmonic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir include the Carnegie Hall commission of the song cycle The Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle for McDonald, at Zankel Hall in 2004. Television: Private Practice (Dr. Naomi Bennett) on ABC, the HBO film Wit (Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a miniseries), Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, The Bedford Diaries, and Kidnapped, and the 1999 television remake of Annie (Miss Farrell). Films:  Best Thief in the World, It Runs in the Family, The Cradle Will Rock, The Object of My Affection, and Seven Servants. McDonald has recorded four solo albums for Nonesuch Records, including Way Back to Paradise, How Glory Goes, Happy Songs, and Build a Bridge. She maintains an active concert and recording career, performing song cycles and operas as well concerts throughout the US.

A.R.T. The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Broadway: Sondheim on Sondheim (Soloist), The Little Mermaid (King Triton), Les Miserables (Javert, Drama League nomination), Chicago (Billy Flynn), Amour, The Wild Party, Side Show (Jake), Miss Saigon (John), and Tommy. London: Les Miserables (Javert), West End, London; Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert, London’s 02 Arena. Off-Broadway: Dessa Rose (Nathan, Drama Desk nomination, Audelco Award), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Valentine, Drama League nomination), Captains Courageous (Doc), A New Brain (Roger). Regional: Ragtime (Coalhouse), Dreamgirls (Curtis, with Jennifer Holliday), First You Dream, Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), The Fantasticks (El Gallo). Concerts: Chess (Molokov, with Josh Groban), Dreamgirls (Curtis), Actor’s Fund; Golden Boy (Eddie), Encores!. Film and television: Sex and the City 2, Preaching to the Choir, Confidences, Mystery Woman, Cosby, Strong Medicine, All My Children and As the World Turns. Recordings include: his debut solo CD, Norm Lewis: This Is The Life.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: The First (Jackie Robinson, Tony nomination, Theatre World Award), Dreamgirls, A Soldier's Play, Race (Tony nomination). Films: A Soldier’s Story, Robert Altman's Streamers (Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival), Dance Flick, and the upcoming We the Peeples. Television: In Living Color (1990-1994, Emmy Award); DAG (2000-2001), Life with Bonnie (2003, Image and Golden Satellite nomination); and he also appeared on Chocolate News. Grier has been named one of Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time." In his first recently published book, BARACK LIKE ME: The Chocolate Covered Truth, he expounds on politics, culture and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timely, timeless, and hilarious memoir and look at all things Barack. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Haywood Patterson, Tony nomination), American Idiot (Favorite Son), In the Heights (Ensemble/u.s.Benny, Drama Desk award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance). Off-Broadway: The Wiz and In the Heights. Regional: American Idiot, Berkeley Rep Theatre; Godspell, Paper Mill Playhouse. Film: Sex and the City. Television: Kings. Bachelor in Music degree from University of Miami Frost School of Music. Founding member of Jaradoa Theater Company and Revolucion Latina, for which he composed the title track "Dare to Go Beyond" on their debut CD "Dare to Go Beyond" the Album.

A. R. T. Debut. National Tours: The 75th Anniversary of Porgy And Bess, (Crown, dir. Charles Randolph-Wright), Show Boat, (Joe, dir. Clayton Phillips). Regional theater: Crowns (Man, dir. Ken Roberson), Arena Stage; Jesus Christ Superstar (Caiaphas, dir. Robert Johanson), North Shore Music Theatre; Smokey Joe’s Café (Fred, dir. Barry Ivan), Pittsburg CLO; If This Hat Could Talk (Sonny/Roy Wilkins, dir. George Faison), The Apollo Theater; Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Ken), Show Palace. Opera credits: Séance On A Wet Afternoon (Inspector Watt’s, Stephen & Scott Schwartz), New York City Opera; Porgy and Bess (Crown) Dayton Opera, also in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Australia, Russia, Poland, and New Zealand; The Rape of Lucretia (Tarquinius), Così fan Tutte (Don Alfonso), The Hartt School Opera. Gospel: Jesus Christ Super Star Gospel (Lewis St. Lewis), Alliance Theater; Golden Gospel Singers, Europe, Harlem Gospel Singers Europe, Director/Baritone NY Harlem Singers (Linda Twine) annual Asian Tour, Concert: You Believed In Me Phillip Boykin LIVE Recording. For more information www.phillipboykin.com.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: The Color Purple (Sofia) and Dessa Rose, Lincoln Center. West End, London: Trevor Nunn’s Gone With the Wind (Mammy). National Tours: Xanadu (Melponmene); The Drowsy Chaperone (Trix the Aviatrix); All Shook Up (Sylvia); Seussical the Musical (Sour Kangaroo); Cinderella (Grace). Selected Regional credits: Hairspray (Motormouth) and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Armelia), Papermill Playhouse; Mahalia (title role), Cleveland Playhouse; Abbysinnia (Selma), Goodspeed /NorthShore. Featured soloist with the Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Ottawa Symphony Orchestras and The Naples Philharmonic. NaTasha will be singing at Carnegie Hall in October with the NY Pops. She is the mother of newborn twins Mackenzie and Nile. NaTasha's cds are available at www.digstation.com.  For more information, please visit her website at www.natashayvettewilliams.com

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: Anything Goes, Promises, Promises, Les Miserables 2006 Revival, Little Shop of Horrors, Lestat, Nine, The Look of Love, Aida. New York City Opera: Porgy and Bess (Clara). Regional: Caroline or Change (Emmie), The Guthrie; Anything Goes (Hope Harcourt), Williamstown Theater Festival; Ray Charles Live! (Della B), Pasadena Playhouse; Beauty and the Beast (Belle), American Musical Theater of San Jose and Sacramento Music Circus; Ragtime (Sarah), North Shore Music Theater; Dorian (Celia Vane), The Denver Center; Aida (Aida), Artpark. Television/Film: "Chappelle's Show" and The Other Woman. Concert appearances: soloist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and at Carnegie Hall. BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.

A.R.T.: ExtraOrdinary, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Broadway: Prince of Broadway, Book of Mormon, After Midnight, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Ragtime. Off-Broadway/New York: Candide, Carnegie Hall; Sweeney Todd (with NY Philharmonic), Show Boat, Live from Lincoln Center; Civil War; Intimate Apparel, Lincoln Center/MET. Regional: Dave, Arena Stage; Ragtime, Kennedy Center; Bernstein’s MASS, Philadelphia Orchestra; Dreamgirls, North Shore Music Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors, Berkshire Theatre Group. International: Prince of Broadway, Tokyo Orb. TV: “Madam Secretary.”

A.R.T. Debut. Regional: A Christmas Carol, Henry IV, Its a Bird, Its a Plane...Its Superman, Death Of A Salesman, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Who's Tommy (Rabin Award), Dallas Theater Center; Lost In The Stars, A Dog's Life, Theatre Three; Porgy And Bess (Austin Critics Circle Award), Zach Theatre, Austin; Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Brief History of White Music, WaterTower Theatre:  The Life, Aida, The Normal Heart, Tick, tick...BOOM, Uptown Players; Crowns, Ain't Misbehavin', Jubilee Theatre. Television/Film: The Good Guys, Chase, Friday Night Lights. Attended Eastman School of Music (Rochester, New York) and a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company, Dallas Theater Center.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway; Wonderful Town, Ragtime, Showboat, Two Gentlemen of Verona, New York Shakespeare Festival; 17 Encores!, City Center; Mufti Series, York Theatre; Bernstein’s Mass, South Pacific, Ira Gershwin at 100 and Spring is Here, Carnegie Hall.  Regional:  Avenue X, Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel, Alliance Theatre; An American in Paris, Houston Alley Theatre; The Blackamoor Angel, Bard Music Festival; Violet, Connecticut Rep; Jam and Spice, Westport Playhouse; Guys and Dolls, Alabama Shakespeare Festival; Finian’s Rainbow, Coconut Grove; The Desert Song, Sacramento Music Circus. Graduate of The College of William and Mary and The Juilliard School.

A.R.T. Debut. West End, London: The Lion King (Disney UK Ltd.). Broadway: The Color Purple, The Lion King. Tours: Ragtime. Regional: Abyssinia, North Shore Music Theatre; Pacific Overtures, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Lost in the Stars, NY City Center’s Encores!; Strike Up the Band and One Touch of Venus, Auditorium Theatre’s Ovations! Series; Violet, Once on This Island and Big River (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Apple Tree Theatre; Showboat, Sacramento Music Circus. The voice of “Sudden Death” on NFL Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core. “Lanette’s husband, Ayana and Isaiah’s papi.”

A.R.T. Debut. Off-Broadway & Tour: Three Mo Tenors, Little Schubert Theater, Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Opera: Lʼétoile, Troubled Island, New York City Opera; Porgy & Bess, Edinburgh International Festival, Opera National de Lyon, New York Harlem Theater; Lost in the Stars, Skylark Opera; Just Above My Head, Pittsburgh Opera Theater; La Bohème, Missouri Symphony Orchestra; Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Dayton Opera; Death in Venice, Glimmerglass Opera; La Traviata, Cincinnati Opera. Recordings: Paragon Ragtime Orchestra- Treemonisha, American Spiritual Ensemble- The Spirituals, Lily in the Valley. Education: BM University of Kentucky, College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati.

A.R.T. Debut. Opera: L’elisir d’amore, Semiramide, Caramoor Festival; Moby-Dick, Dallas Opera; Mitridate, LOTNY; Strange Fruit, New York City Opera Vox; Porgy and Bess, European/Australian tour; Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Opera Colorado; Die Zauberflöte, Bronx Opera. Concert soloist appearances include Knickerbocker Holiday and Grapes of Wrath at Lincoln Center, Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall.  Education: BS Biology Clark Atlanta University, MM Voice Manhattan School of Music.  www.HeatherHillSoprano.com

A.R.T. Debut. Theater: Three Moʼ Divas, Big River, Iroquois Amphitheater. Opera: Porgy and Bess, New York Harlem Productions in Germany and Italy; Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, Dayton Opera; Don Giovanni, Lucca, Italy; Dead Man Walking, Cincinnati Opera. Concert: Showboat, Carnegie Hall; The Messiah, Milwaukee Symphony; Fauré Requiem, Lexington Philharmonic. Film: For Colored Girls. Recordings: For Colored Girls Soundtrack; The Tender Land; The Spirit of the Holidays, Old Time Religion, with the American Spiritual Ensemble; and Treemonisha with Paragon Ragtime Orchestra.

A.R.T. Debut. New York City: Dreamgirls (C.C. White), Apollo Theater/National Broadway Tour; Amazing Grace (Reading). Atlanta, Georgia: Black Voices: The Struggle Continues, The Urban Theatre Company of Atlanta, Inc. Television: BET’s Sunday Best Season 1 (Top 7 Finalist), MTV’s Making the Band 4 (Atlanta Finalist; New York City Contestant). Graduate of Clark Atlanta University, BA Mass Media Arts: Television. Member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc. & Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

A.R.T  Debut. Broadway: Wonderland. First national tours: In The Heights, Hairspray. Other theater: Sister Act (world premiere), Pasadena Playhouse; Ray Charles Live! (Young Ray), Pasadena Playhouse; Stormy Weather (with Leslie Uggams), Pasadena Playhouse; Porgy and Bess (Undertaker, Jim), Hollywood Bowl; Dreamgirls (with Frenchie Davis), West Coast Tour, Pittsburgh CLO; Annie, Trinity Rep; South Pacific (with Reba McEntire), Hollywood Bowl; Smokey Joe’s Café (Victor), Pioneer Theatre, Westchester Broadway; Miss Saigon (John), Westchester Broadway. Assistant Director/Piano Accompanist/Music Theory Instructor, Boys’ Choir of Harlem. Eastman School of Music, classical piano performance, Morehouse College, New World School of the Arts.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: Harold Prince revival of Show Boat (also national tour). Off Broadway: Marie Christine, Prince and the Pauper at Madison Square Garden. Regional theater:  Show Boat and Ragtime, Forestburgh Playhouse; For The People, Majestic Playhouse, Gettysburg; Voice From Within, Apollo Theatre; The Whitehouse Cantata, Alice Tully Hall. Concerts: Neil Burg's 100 Years of Broadway, USA, Barbados; Duke Ellington's Sacred Service, Jazz at Lincoln Center; Schubert's Mass, Carnegie Hall; Music Is In the Air, Town Hall; Bach's B Minor Mass, Basically Bach Festival of Saint Peter's Church; Fauré Requiem, Bach's St. John Passion, and Handel's Messiah. Movie Short, All American Eyes. Recordings: Ol' Time Religion, Letting Go. Published choral and solo music with Laurendale Publishing. Eagle Scout of troop 254. M.M in Voice and M.M in Conducting Northwestern University, B.S. Oregon State University.

A.R.T. Debut. Theater: The Motown Project Chamber Ensemble (Leading Lady); Things of the Heart (Marian Anderson); Threepenny Opera (Jenny); Milestone (Wife). Concert and Recital: Jazz@Lincoln Center w/Charles Lloyd, Café Sabarsky, Duke University, WNYC Greene Space, Rubin Museum. Other Theater:  Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Chapel/Chapter (US/Europe, Bessie Award for Musical Collaboration); Jason Moran & the Bandwagon Slang and Live: Time and Milestone (US/Europe), Simon Schama Rough Crossings; Joan Jonas' Mirror Piece II (US/Mexico), Adam Pendleton's The Revival and three scenes (Isabella Gardner Museum), Simone Leigh and Liz Magic Laser's Breakdown (opera/film).  Education:  B.A. Barnard College of Columbia University, B.M. Manhattan School of Music

A.R.T. Debut. Las Vegas: The Lion King (u/s Shenzi & Sarabi). Regional: Ragtime, Paper Mill Playhouse; Caroline, or Change, TheatreWorks and The Studio Theatre; A Little Night Music and Nunsense, Sacramento Music Circus; Aida, Arvada Center; Dreamgirls, PCLO; Hairspray and Les Miserables, North Shore Music Theatre. Concerts: Show Boat, Carnegie Hall; Burt Bacharach to the Future, New World Stages; Kurt Weill and His Music, NY Historical Society. Award: 2008 San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (Caroline, or Change). B.A. Spelman College, M.M. The Boston Conservatory.

A.R.T. Debut. Broadway: The Lion King (Nala u/s, Shenzi u/s). National Tours: Mamma Mia! (Ali); The Lion King (Nala). Off-Broadway: River Deep: Tribute to Tina Turner, Playwright’s Horizons. Regional: Abyssinia (Lily), Goodspeed, North Shore; Once on This Island (TiMoune), Gallery Players; Godspell (Robin), St. Louis Black Rep; Purlie (with Blaire Underwood and Loretta Devine, respectively), City Center ENCORES!, Pasadena Playhouse. Television: The Tony Awards 2008, The Today Show, Oprah, Jay Leno. FILM: Unconditional Love. Dance: xodus dance collective, Karen Gayle, artistic director; Joel Hall Dancers, Joel Hall, a.d.; Deeply Rooted (apprentice), Kevin Iega Jeff, a.d. Broadway in South Africa co-founder. Northwestern University, B.S., journalism.

A.R.T.: Debut. Broadway: Ragtime (Father), Lestat (Magnus). Regional: My Way – A Sinatra Tribute, Infinity Theater Company, Annapolis, MD; A Christmas Carol (Scrooge), Arvada Center; Jacques Brel (Man #1), Alliance Theater; 101 Dalmations (Splendid Vet). National Tour; The Phantom of the Opera (Andre), San Francisco; The Visit (Inspector Hanke), The Goodman Theater; Man of La Mancha 25th Anniversary production (Padre), Goodspeed Opera House; Nerds (Tom Watson), World Premiere at the Philadelphia Theater Company; Follies (Ben), Signature Theater; Camelot (Arthur), Shubert Theater, Boston; Les Miserables (The Bishop), Theater of the Stars.